Vietnam again opposes China’s acts violating Vietnam’s territorial waters.

Vietnam vigorously opposed China ’s acts on June 9 in harassing a ship conducting seismic surveys in Vietnam ’s territorial waters in the East Sea and demanded the Chinese authorities stop repeating such kinds of violations.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga   declared the protest at a regular press conference of the Foreign Ministry of Vietnam  in Hanoi on June 9

She told to the media that at 6am on June 9, a Chinese fishing boat code-named 62226, supported by two Chinese fishery administration vessels code-named 311 and 303, intentionally hit the survey cables of Viking II, ( this ship was hired by the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group), when it was conducting seismic surveys at Lot 136/03 at a location 6 degrees 47’5” north latitude and 109 degrees 17’5” east longitude on Vietnam’s continental shelf.

The Chinese fishing boat 62226 trailed a cable-cutting device into the vicinity of ship Viking II and became trapped in the network of underwater cables in use by the Vietnamese vessel, though the Vietnamese ship had signaled a warning flare. Because of the attack, ship Viking II could not operate normally.

Then, the two Chinese fishing boats took part in the rescue mission of fishing boat 62226.

The incident took place just two weeks after a Chinese marine surveillance vessel on May 26 cut the exploration cables of ship Binh Minh 02 at Lot 148 in Vietnam ’s continental shelf, bringing continuous tension to the East Sea situation.

The seismic survey area being studied by ship Viking II is well within Vietnam ’s 200 nautical mile continental shelf, and completely belongs to Vietnam ’s area of sovereignty, in line with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the spokesperson affirmed.

"The act by those fishing boats and fishery administration vessels of China was absolutely in purpose, well-planned and well prepared,” Ms. Nga said.

She added, “It seriously violates Vietnam’s sovereignty and jurisdictional rights, against the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and goes counter to the common perception of senior leaders of the two countries on maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea, and causing huge economic losses for the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group.”

 “ China ’s systematic acts were aimed at turning the area of the East sea without disputes into one with disputes, and try to realize its ambition of “ China ’s nine-crook  (or cow’s tongue) maritime line” right over the East sea, Nga said. She also stressed, “This is something that Vietnam cannot accept.”

“The Vietnamese side vigorously opposes China ’s aforementioned act and demands the Chinese side immediately cease all acts violating Vietnam ’s national sovereignty and jurisdiction rights to its continental shelf and exclusive economic zone and not repeat them, and provide compensation for damages caused to the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group,” she announced.

Later the same day, a Vietnam Foreign Ministry representative met with a representative from the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi to protest the act and affirm Vietnam ’s stance, Ms. Nga informed.